Light-diffusing structural panels



pr 5 M969 R. R. KELLER LIGHT-DIFFUSING STRUCTURAL PANELS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 4, 1955 Apu- 5, 1960 R. R. KELLER 2,93468 LIGHT-DIFFUSING STRUCTURAL PANELS Filed Feb. 4, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 z i 0F INVENTOR.

BY M

LIGHT-DIFFUSING STRUCTURAL PANELS Robert R. Keller, Manchester, N H.

Application February 4, 1955, Serial No. 486,112

7 Claims. (Cl. 189-34) This invention relates to improvements in light-diffusing structural panels. More particularly the invention provides improved structural panels wherein substantial insulating air space intervenes between relatively colored translucent panel-facing elements, and wherein the facing elements are secured on opposite sides of a multi-element frame whose elements initially may be variously combined and arranged to attain, with the facing elements, any of a variety of shadow eects and light-reflecting and light-diiusing eects.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide stmctural insulating and light-diffusing panels which may be produced in any desired sizes and which are readily combinable with other panels to procure various color and light-diffusing eiects in building walls and ceilings, or portions thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structural insulating panel wherein multiple frame elements initially lare slidably inter-locked and relatively movable into various inter-locked relationships and become permanently fixed in selected relationships by translucent facing elements on opposite sides of the multiple-element frame. A further object of the invention is to provide a structural panel having a translucent facing element on each of two opposite sides of a metallic frame, with substantial insulating air spaces between the facing elements and with light reilecting transverse surfaces of the frame disposed to provide substantial shadow eiects which change with changes in the general direction of approach of rays of light to the panel.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a structural insulating panel wherein metal core elements are combinable into inter-locked frame relationships which, selectively, may be variously modified t produce any of a variety of core-frame eects, and wherein translucent facing sheets of selected color or tone maintain the core elements in a selected relationship and coact with the said core elements to produce distinctive color and shadow elfects.

it is, moreover, my purpose and object generally to improve insulating structural panels and especially to improve the light diffusing and color effects attainable with structural panels of the mentioned general description.

-. In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l .is a face view of a section of a structural panel embodying features of the invention;

Fig, 2 is a cross-sectional view on line 2 2 of Fig. l on'a larger scale;

Fig. 3 is a face view of a panel section generally similar to that of Fig. l but having a modified arrangement of the panel core frame elements, the structure of Fig. 3 being approximately on the scale of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 has isometric representations of portions of frame elements which are adapted to be fitted together into inter-locked relationship, with permissible adjustability ofthe inter-locked elements.

Referring to the Figs. 1, 2 and 4, my improved panels are made up of a multiplicity of frame elements 10,'12, and in Fig. 3 frame elements 10', 12' and 12a which are adapted to be inter-fitted and inter-locked with the shorter elements 12 in any of numerous spaced relation-v ships between the elements 10. They may, for example be positioned as in Fig. 1, or as in Fig. 3, or they may be arranged variously with or without a set pattern arrangement over the entire area of a panel.

As best seen in Figs. 2 and 4, the elements 10, 12 are in the nature of I-beams, but are made of relatively light material such as aluminum. Preferably, elements 10, 12 are extruded aluminum elements, although they might be cast aluminum or castings or extrusions or rolled shapes of other relatively light weight metals or alloys. Also, they may be molded or extruded from suitable varieties of available plastic materials.

Each I-beam element 10 has a web portion 18 extending from end to end thereof, and each web portion 18 has flanges 14, 14 extending along its opposite edges and projecting at each side of web portion 18. The projecting portion of flanges 14, 14 at each side of web portion 18, are channeled at 22 along the inner surfaces' of the anges, whereby the channels 22 in each flange 14 of each element 10 are open toward similar channels 22 in the other flange 14 of the same element 10.

Similarly, each l-beam element 12 has a web portion 2G extending from end to end thereof, and each web por-j` tion 2l) has anges 16, 15 extending along its vopposite edges and projecting at each side of the web portion 18, with the inner surfaces of the anges channeled at 24 generally the same as the flanges 14, 14 of elements 10.

The outer surfaces of flanges of elements 10 and`12 preferably are minutely grooved longitudinally at 15 and 17, respectively, and all of the elements 10 are arranged in spaced general parallelism, and the elements 12 are in general parallelism with each other but generally perpendicular to the elements 10.

Interlocking of the elements 10, 12 is attained by means of web-projections 26 and tongues 28 on the ends of particular elements 10 and 12. In Fig. 4, a web-projection 26 is shown extending beyond the anges 16, 16, and tongues 28, 28 are shown located on the projection 26 and adapted to be slidably engaged in channels 22, 22 of the adjacent element 18. Hence, in Fig. 2, the central element 12 has its projection tongues 28, at one end, engaged in the adjacent channels 22, of the element 10 which is to the left in Fig. 2, and has its projection tongues 28, at the other end, engaged in the adjacent channels 22 of the element 10 which is to the right in Fig. 2. The tongues 28 of projections 26 of other elements 12 are shown in Fig.l 2 engaged in grooves 22 of the same elements 10 but at the other sides of the webs 18 of the elements 10.

It is a feature of the invention that the elements 12 may be adjusted to any desired locations along the elements 10 to create any of numerous relationships of the elements 12 relative to each other and as regards their locations and arrangements along the elements 10. Fig.- 3 shows another preferred arrangement of particulaaelements wherein elements 18' which are abutted by abritting element 12, are in turn abutting elements with regard to abutted elem-ent 12a. A great variety or" core-frame effects may be attained, selectively, by adjustment and arrangement of the elements. Also, as will be apparent, the lengths of some or all of the elements may be varied to provide still other core-frame eiects. 7

After the core-frame elements 10, 12 have been assembled to provide a desired relationship of the elements, translucent facing members 3G are applied to opposite sides of the core-frame to complete a struc'turallpanel which will have substantial insulating air space betwe'eiil colored to suit particular tastes and desires.

assises the facing members Si). A suitable adhesive preliminarily may be spread over and along the grooved edge surfaces at 15, 17 of all of the frame elements lt), 12 to effect securelnent of members 30 to the frame with the members 30 maintaining the frame elements xed in their said desired relationship;

Facing members V3l) may be of any suitable translucent sheet material but, presently, I prefer to employ members 30 made yfromfibre-reinforced resin having a predetermined amount of a selected pigment added to give color and tone to the members. Resins of the polyester family reinforced with promiscuously disposed glass fibres have been found satisfactory for the facing members 3i?, Similarly reinforced facing members made from resins of the epoxy fnmily'also will be found suitable. Obviously, the panels may lbe of any desired size, and, if desired, adjacent l ls in aV Wall or ceiling may have different colors to `atterrir striking color euccts. The panels may be mounte by any suitable means (not shown) such as available clamping and sealing means which may engage the adja- Y cent edge margins of the panel facing members Si? of adjacent panels.

The spacing of the facing members 30 of any particular panel may vary to some extent, but the spacing desirabl-y should be substantial to attain varying light diffusing yand, color effects. Highly effective panels may have core-frame elements which space the facing elements Si) apart approximately 2%.", for example, so that intervening core Webs have substantial transverse extent for Ydeiiecting and reecting light rays passing through a facing member 3d in directions other than at right angles to the plane of the member Bil. Hence, substantial deflection and refiection of light rays occursV with diffused light effects which vary with variations in the directions of approach of the light rays to a panel. Also, substantial shadow effects from the interior relatively deep 'core-L frame webs provide varying modification of the diffused'.

color effects. Panels having maroon or coral color or tone combined with associated panels which may be` yellow or green or blue, for example, produce notable color effects and color'harmonies which change with travel of the sun on its course from east to West due to variation of the effects of the core-frame Walls on the light diffused through a panel into a room. Still other color effects and harmonies are attained in response to Y sernbled and adjusted to provide any of numerous con` structional effects which become permanent in any particular panels with the completion of the panels by securement of Vthe facing members on the core-frames.

Y,Ahny or all of the frame elements 10, 12 may have web projections 26 and oppositely disposed tongues 28 as illnsn'ated on the element 12 of Fig.,4.` Hence, in the Eig. 3 embodiment, a panel corner may be formed by interlocking engagement of tongues on a web projection 26 of the element 1G which is to the left in Fig. V3, in channels in an edge element l2a which may extend throughout the extent of the panel.

Panels embodying the herein disclosed structural featyres are relatively light in weight as compared to prior It isiutended thatthe patent shall. Cover, by suitable expression in the appended claims, whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A structural panel comprising a multiplicity of generally right-angularly related metallic frame elements, all of said elements having substantially identical cross-sectional shape and each having a relatively thin web of substantial depth and substantially straight-extentsubstantially from end Vto end of the element, cach said element having a flange portion of substantial width extending along each longitudinal edge of the element substantially from end to end thereof, each said liange portion of each said element being longitudinally grooved along its inner surface atV opposite sides of said relatively thin web thereof whereby two generally parallel channels extend along the inner surfaces of said ange portions with the channels in the. flange portion at .one .edge open toward the channelsy in the flange portion at. `the opposite edge of the same element, means at end portions of particular frame elements slidably engaging in opposite channels ofV flange portions at OPPOSite edge portions of frame elements disposed generally perpendicular to said particular elements, whereby said particular elements automatically inter-lock with said generally perpendicular elements at any selected locations along the latter, corresponding outer surfaces of said anges of all of said elements being in two'generally parallel planes, and a translucent sheet-form'facing element rigidly secured to said outer flange surfaces of all of said frame elements in each of said' two planes and having unitary continuousy extent in: said planes over the said junctures of the inter-locked frame elements, saidfacing sheets having fibrous material distributed therein and visible when light is diffused through the said translucent facing elements, said anges of all of said inter.- locked frame elements providing relativelynarrow opaque areas creating a pattern of opaque areas extending around the margin of the panel and in the midst of said trans# lucent sheet when light is diffused through the panel.

- 2. A Vstructural panel comprising a multiplicity of frame elements including a first plurality of rigid I-beam elements disposed in spaced parallelism and a second plurality of rigid I-beam elements spaced apart and dis posed in generally perpendicular relationship, all of said elements having substantially the same cross-sectional shape, and each having a web portion of substantial depth extending from end to end of the element and a flange extending along each edge of the web portion and pro.. jecting at opposite sides of the web portion, said second plurality of elements abutting elements of said'first plu.- rality of elements, the inner surfaces of the flanges `of Veach element of said first plurality of elements being longitudinally channelled with the channels oppositely disposed in the two flanges of the element, means at end portions of said second plurality of elements slidably engaging in oppositely disposed channels of the. elements of said first plurality of elements between which said Vsecond plurality of elements extend, whereby said elements initially may be selectively positioned along saidk channels in inter-locked relationship to elements of said first plurality of elements, corresponding outer surfaces of the anges of all of said I-beam elements being in two generally parallel planes, and a translucent sheet-form niember rigidly secured to said outer surfaces of the anges of all of said elements in each of said two planes and having unitary continuous extent in said planes substa tially throughout the area of the panel, said fianges of all of said I-beam elements providing a pattern of substantially right-angularly related relatively narrow opaque areas at the opposite faces of the panel, said pattern being in substantial part predetermined by the said initial rselective positioning of said elements. v Y

3. A structural panel as defined inz claim'2 wherein l.the said means at end portions of said second plurality-oi elements comprises, at each end of each, a projection of its said web portion beyond its said anges, and a pair of tongues on said projection for interlocking sliding engagement in said channels of the two said anges of a said element of said rst plurality of elements.

4. A structural panel as defined in claim 2 wherein the said web portions of l-beam elements have light-reflecting surfaces, and said translucent sheet-form members have glass bres therein producing a magnied light-dilusing effect in conjunction with said reecting surfaces.

5. A structural panel comprising a multiplicity of frame elements including a first plurality of rigid beam elements disposed in spaced parallelism and a second plurality of rigid beam elements spaced apart and disposed in generally perpendicular relationship, each of said beam elements having a web portion of substantial depth extending from end-to-end of the element and anges extending along opposite edges of the web portion and presenting two oppositely directed outer surfaces, each surface having a width substantially greater than the thickness of said web, said second plurality of elements abutting elements of said first plurality of elements, said abutted elements provided with seating portions extending along their length, projection means at end portions of each of said abutting elements for slidably engaging said seating portions, whereby said abutting elements initially may be selectively positioned along said seating por tions in inter-engaged relationship to said abutted elements, a first light-transmitting sheet-form member rigidly secured to one of the outer flange surfaces of each of said rigid beam elements and having a unitary continuous extent substantially throughout the area of the panel, and a second, opposed sheet-form member rigidly secured to the other outer ange surface of each of said rigid beam elements and having a unitary continuous extent substantially throughout the area of the panel, said anges of all of said elements providing a pattern of substantially right-angularly related relatively narrow substantially opaque areas at the opposite faces of the panel, said pattern being in substantial part predetermined by the initial selective positioning of said elements.

6. The structural panel of claim 5 wherein the abutted rigid beam elements each further provides an additional longitudinal portion parallel with and spaced apart from said seating portion, and said means at end portions vof said abutting elements comprises a projection for insertion in the space defined between said seating portion and said additional longitudinal portion whereby said rst plurality of elements and said second plurality of elements are interlocked.

7. The structural panel of claim 6 wherein at least one of said longitudinal portions on each of said abutted beam elements and a portion of the projection of each of said abutting elements are shaped to provide mated groove and projection interlock against endwise movement of said abutting element from said abutted element.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,312,908 Goldie Aug. 12, 1919 1,344,882 Goldie June 29, 1920 2,053,135 Dalton Sept. 1, 1936 2,302,586 Thelen Nov. 17, 1942 2,304,718 Swart Dec. 8, 1942 2,311,613 Slayter Feb. 16, 1943 2,537,216 Paix -a Jan. 9, 1951 

